


Two Halves of One

by LazyFryingPan



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, F/M, Force Bond (Star Wars), M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, last jedi - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-01 01:03:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15131657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyFryingPan/pseuds/LazyFryingPan
Summary: Where two kindred souls are connected through a bond neither of them asked for





	1. Ben Solo

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the first three chapters of this force bond trash, I was simply trying to blow off some steam and perhaps polish my writing skills. But then my brain was like "screw it, let's turn this into an entire fucking story" so now here we are...

 

Much like the tears that rolled down the cheeks of the grieving Resistance soldiers, heavy raindrops poured down the grounds of Naboo -- the weather somehow seemingly involved with the atmosphere of grief that surrounded the humble funeral of their beloved General Leia Organa. The Resistance – or what was left of it – grieved the death of their leader, standing around her coffin. R2-D2 had long ago ceased beeping after what was left of her old friends took her last breath of air. Now the blue droid was simply blinking red and blue in the corner, refusing to communicate with any other person.

Captain Poe Dameron stood stiffly next to Leia's grave, unmoving as he held back another onslaught of tears that threatened to be released from his eyes. Rose, on the other hand, had no reason to hold back her sobbing as her shoulders racked with quiet cries and sniffs, leaning onto the shoulder of Finn who rubbed her arm comfortingly.

Everyone else was either sobbing or bowing their heads in silent prayer, save for Luke Skywalker's last padawan – Rey. The female stood next to Leia, right across where Poe, Rose, and Finn were standing, her hands on her sides as she stared down at the peaceful face of their General. Rey's mind was anywhere but at this moment, her thoughts wandering into space.

Even during Leia's last minutes in life, her spirit did not falter, even in her deathbed, the strong woman continued to whisper words of motivation that kept the spark of hope alive inside the hearts of the rebels. Yet despite the General's promising words, Rey could not find herself to speak as she stared into Leia's sad brown eyes – eyes that mirrored the same pair she knew that belonged to the new Supreme Leader of the feared First Order.

Rey's chest constricted at the thought of him. The person she knew that was going to be the most – or least - affected by the passing of Leia. A rather naively hopeful part of her wanted to believe Ben – Kylo Ren... or whatever other names he went by – at least cared about his own mother's passing. Yet the other half of her mind was angrily hissing, reminding her of his previous actions.

He killed his own father and was more than willing to murder Luke. Why would he care if Leia died?

In the midst of having these specific thoughts roam her mind, a familiar pull interrupted her musings. All air suddenly left Rey's lungs as she felt his presence filled the room. Rey could no longer hear the heavy raindrops attacking the rooftops of the old rebel base; instead, she heard someone else's breathing – deep and uneven. It didn't take long for Ren's form to materialize and no sooner than later he was standing in an empty dark room right across her... invisible to everyone else's eyes but hers. He was, of course, still covered in all black, Rey used to wonder if he knew there were also other colors that existed other than the dark hue but at this moment his guise also suited the atmosphere that hung around the funeral perfectly. Aside from his usual uniform, Ren wasn't wearing the menacing helmet Rey hated so much, leaving his facial expression open to being read by anyone who saw him.

Many suns had already risen and set since the last time they connected through their bond. Snoke had claimed to have created the bridge to each other's minds, and yet even after his death done by his own apprentice's hands, the bond was still very much alive. Their last connection on Crait was proof that what the dark-sider said was merely a lie to manipulate their confused feelings for each other – they both figured as much.

Rey didn't move, nor speak...she didn't want to see him, and yet she couldn't find the strength to push his image away and cut their connection either. Ren also stood unmovingly – his shoulders tense and his posture rigid. Rey could feel the mental wall that Ren had purposefully built between them crumble slowly, cracks in between the once sturdy bricks of the barrier that prevented each other from reading the other's thoughts allowed her to take a quick peek into his mind.

Before she could linger any longer on that small window that led to his mind, Ren moved. The dark sider's tall form moved from his place at the farthest end of the room, walking carefully towards Rey. The female took a tentative step back, her eyes warily searching for clues of his intentions through his sad brown eyes before he stopped a few steps in front of her, Leia's coffin serving as a barrier.

Rey continued to eye him wordlessly when Ren knelt down on one knee next to the General and placed a dark gloved hand over the surface of her coffin. All defenses that Ren had built up between their bridged minds broke down and Rey found herself nearly stumbling on her feet as a tsunami of emotions that flooded from Ren's side of the bond overwhelmed her.

The balance the female had on her feet was eventually lost as she finally knelt down to steady herself; Rey felt every single one of his emotions as if it were her own.

"Rey?" She heard Finn's muffled voice call out to her, yet she dared not to move from her position. Rey's breaths came out ragged as she attempted to take everything that Ren had openly let her see and feel, in.

Finally taking her eyes off the floor beneath her, Rey raised her gaze to see the leader of the Resistance's enemy grieving his mother's death.

At this moment she did not see a dark lord who was responsible for the destruction of entire planets and murdered innocent citizens.... just a son mourning for his mother – the only other person who showed him compassion when he was struggling with the darkness and power inside of him as a youngling.

Rey saw Ben Solo.

Ignoring the warning voice of her conscience, Rey slowly reached out to touch the gloved hand that was placed at the center of the wooden coffin. Breathing heavily, she placed her warm palm on the back of his glove-covered one. Ren visibly tensed at the contact but didn't pull away, his breaths growing deeper as he let the feeling of their connected hands linger while Rey lets go of a breath she didn't know she was holding.

This reminded Rey of the night they pressed their fingertips together, over the warmth of the bonfire, where she had openly told him her experience in the underground cave. Ren had assured her that she wasn't alone... Rey wanted him to know that he wasn't either, especially in his grief.

She kept her palm over his, hazel eyes searching his brown ones that were currently covered behind the curtain of his long dark locks. She could feel their forces mingling with one another, sending surprisingly pleasant vibrations up her arm.

Rey licked her lips nervously, gathering her confidence to speak and break the deafening silence between them... the silence that has been haunting her during many endless nights since their last communication on Crait.

"Ben I—"

"Rey are you okay?" She felt a warm hand placed on her cold shoulder, interrupting her sentence.

Rey jumped at the sudden physical contact and the hand she had placed over Ren's pulled away as she whipped her head to see Finn looking down at her sympathetically.

"Rey are you okay?" He asked her again, concern written all over his features.

The female blinked repeatedly several times before she breathed out slowly. Rey turned her head to glance back at her bond mate only to be greeted by the empty space across her.

She frowned. The connection had ended.

That was the first time in several weeks the force had allowed them to connect again since Crait. How long would it take for them to communicate again? Weeks? Months..?

A series of beeps coming from BB-8 interrupted Rey's musings and she turned her head to meet the droid's gaze. Despite lacking facial expressions, she could tell the orange and white droid was concerned.

"I'm fine" she silently reassured.

Finn, who still stood at her side sadly, sparing Leia's coffin one more glance. "We have to get back to the fleet now; they're arranging a quick meeting about who would take General Organa's place."

Rey nodded and climbed back onto her feet. She wordlessly followed the former stormtrooper back to the main base, looking back to glance at the coffin that was now being carried by a few Resistance soldiers to deliver to her grave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a moodboard!/aesthetic(?) dunno, honestly. P.S. watermark is my wattpad/instagram username ;3


	2. The Spark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance seeks refuge in a habitable planet in the outer rim

 

Not long after the burial, the small group of Resistance soldiers had to continue their course towards the outer rim. Stopping halfway through their journey on Naboo for Leia's funeral was already risky enough; the First Order may as well be already on their trail, waiting for a moment of vulnerability to strike.

The paranoia made it rather hard for them to rest... Poe, who now took the role as General sat inside the cockpit of the Falcon on the co-pilot seat next to Chewie who kept their ship in lightspeed. The new General was restless, the weight of his new responsibility as the leader of the rebels threatening to throw his steady resolve off balance. There was still so much to worry about -- their distress signal had yet to be answered, and they were still searching for a proper base to rebuild.

In the midst of his ponderings, BB-8 rolled into the cockpit, his concerned beeping interrupting him. Poe turned his gaze from the bright lights ahead of him to the droid beeping his concerns for his master. "I'm alright buddy" He reassured, "Just lost in thought"

Chewie gave a small growl from his seat, going against the General's claims to being alright and Poe turned to the Wookie with furrowed brows.

"Poe" Rey's voice chimed in as she walked into the cockpit. BB-8 acknowledged her presence with a series of chirps and the female glance down to smile at the round droid.

"Miss Jedi, how may I assist you?" Poe addressed the girl playfully, smiling boyishly.

"Has there been any luck with the distress signal? Did anyone respond yet?" She inquired.

BB-8 beeped dejectedly and shook his semi-circular head in response; Poe sighed and shook his head. "Well, unfortunately, no. No one has answered our call for help..." The General noticed the discontent in the girl's eyes as her shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "Yet." He added, hoping to lift Rey's spirits up.

"So until then, we need to refuel and find a planet to rest and recuperate. We'll be dropping by soon on the nearest habitable planet before sending a few people to refuel the Falcon and gather supplies for our temporary stay" Rey nodded mutely after Poe had finished explaining to her his plan. Poe seemed to take on the role of General pretty well, and despite sometimes being rather impulsive his intentions were clear – he would do whatever it took to save his friends and what was left of the Resistance.

The ship's shaking jolted Rey back to reality as she watched from the front window streaks of blinding whites bleeding into one another before they stopped, and the lights were now just tiny dots decorating the vast space. A large green and grey planet came into view; the Falcon entered the planet's atmosphere where dark grey clouds temporarily blinded them before a vast space of green revealed itself to them.

Poe arose from his seat and excused himself out of the cockpit, "This is our stop" He stated before stepping into the lounge area where the rest of the Resistance soldiers stayed. Humans, aliens and droids alike perked up at the sight of their general emerging from the cockpit, his orange and white droid following close behind. The man inhaled deeply before speaking loud enough for his fleet to hear.

"As you may know there hasn't been a response to the distress signal we've sent to our allies scattered out here, in the outer rim, yet. Don't be discouraged, they have no doubt heard us but at the moment they are intimidated by the First Order and the thought of going against it. They'll come around... eventually. They just need a bit of convincing" Everyone nodded soberly, and Poe held back scratching the back of his neck in uneasiness. "In the meantime, we will need to rebuild and refuel. This planet we have just landed on will serve as a temporary base while we send a small group of people to gather more supplies. Don't lose faith, my comrades, we'll do whatever it takes to keep the spark of hope alive. Soon we'll have everything we need."

Rey, who stood on the spot right behind the Wookie that piloted the landing of the Falcon lowered her gaze down to her boots. She had faintly heard Poe's speech from the other side of the ship, and as much as she wanted to believe in the words spoken, the promise of keeping the spark of hope alive... Rey could not resist the twinge of doubt that crept itself into her mind.

The young woman cringed; she had always been the optimistic one... she was always looking at the bright side of every situation. What had caused these sudden wary thoughts? Rey assumed it was the recent events taking a toll on her – the death of Leia, Luke, the loss of half of their fleet. There was so much bloodshed...All because of the damned First Order. How many would more lives have to be lost before the people won their homes back? How much more pain and suffering should they have to take before they no longer have to live in fear of the Dark that was gradually spreading across the galaxy? Rey balled her hands into tight fists. So many lives had been lost because of this war and she wanted nothing more than to end it. Unfortunately, that seemed as impossible as getting Kylo Ren to turn his back on the Dark side. The man that was practically responsible for the horrific massacre.

Chewie made a small groaning sound as the Wookie tilted his head back to eye Rey who was once again, lost in thought. The female blinked out of her musings and raised her brow at him in inquiry.

"Rey! You coming Miss Jedi?" Poe called out from the ramp that had now apparently lowered itself onto the muddy ground of the planet. They had already landed and she was too lost in her musings to even notice it.

Rey shook her head and stepped out of the cockpit, walking towards the drawer that kept the Jedi texts she had snuck out from Ach'To. She didn't exactly steal them ... From the moment those voices had led her towards the ancient tree that kept them she had already felt like they were meant for her to keep. Rey made a mental note to read them when she got the chance as she placed the texts inside her knapsack along with the two broken pieces of her lightsabre. She stood up on her knees before walking out of the Falcon, Rey spotted a few stowaway Porgs from Ach'to running out of the ship and onto the new planet's surface, screeching as they did.

The female took notice of her surroundings the moment she walked down from the ramp. The planet reminded Rey a bit about Ach'to – mist hung over the planet's atmosphere, high mountains stood narrowly to each other, the long gap between them that seemed to go on for miles was filled with clear water that created the fjord. The Falcon stood on the even grounds a few miles away from the fjord. Rey noted how the sun's warm rays could hardly reach them as the gigantic mountains blocked it from their view.

Rey felt the presence of another human being approach her and she turned her head in time to see Rose walking towards her with a shy smile. Rey returned the gesture and offered her a smile of her own.

"It's cold out here," Rose remarked, her shoulders shaking as if to prove this point. Rey could feel goosebumps covering her neck and shoulders that were bare but she hardly noticed it. "The Falcon will be leaving tomorrow morning to refuel and gather supplies, which means we'll still be sleeping in that piece of junk for the rest of the night until we build our own shelters tomorrow"

Rey let out a small chuckle at her remark. Indeed, it hasn't exactly been comfortable sleeping inside the rusty ship but she had been used to sleeping in very uncomfortable places back in the fallen AT-AT she had considered home back on Jakku. "We'll live. Like you said it's only one more night before we can build a more comfortable cot to sleep in." Rose grinned at her reply and chuckled as well. Rey's eyes furrowed as she noticed Rose's usual companion wasn't by her side, she tilted her head to look back on the Falcon's to search for him.

"Where's Finn?"

As if on cue, the man in question emerged from the thick wood, behind a large blue and pink tree. Rose turned her head to glance behind her and spotted the ex-stormtrooper searching the place for her. She raised her arm and waved for his attention and Finn instantly noticed Rose standing next to Rey.

Rey silently noted how he broke into a grin when his attention was caught by Rose's gesturing hand. After Crait the two had been practically inseparable, Finn hardly ever left Rose's side after she had fallen into a coma. Rose had apparently prevented Finn from sacrificing himself to save the Resistance and for that; Rey could not have been any more thankful.

Rose had woken up in a week later and Finn was constantly asking her if she was feeling better or if she was strong enough to carry herself on her own. It was endearing to see Finn caring so much about the girl but Rey also often noticed the two giving each other shy glances once in a while and she often wondered if something had happened between the two while she was away. Not that she was jealous... Rey was most certainly pleased Finn had earned a new friend amongst the Resistance soldiers, she just wondered about what had developed between the two. She made a mental note to ask them about the side quest they had on Canto Bight; Rey never really got the chance to ask properly about it.

As her closest friend neared them she saw how Finn's eyes darted from Rey to Rose, and she swore she saw them soften before Finn glanced back to her again. "The porgs got loose and escaped the Falcon"

Rose chuckled by Rey's side before turning to her. "Finn made a new friend on the way here by the way" At the mention of that Rey noticed the movement inside Finn's jacket before he grinned and reached into it, pulling out a baby porg that chittered.

Rey gasped and laughed watching Finn cradle the small bird close to his chest. "Hi, there little fella" she cooed at it, lowering her head to pet the porg's feathery head.

"Found this little guy wandering away from its nest on the ship" Finn explained, laughing.

" _Han_ has refused to leave Finn's side the moment he found him. He's basically imprinted on him as his momma porg" Rose laughed at the way the porg snuggled itself into Finn's warm chest. Meanwhile, Rey raised her brows at the creature's name, she raised her gaze to Finn who was cooing the little bird.

" _Han_?" She asked, failing to keep her voice even as an unwelcome wave of sadness flooded her chest.

Finn nodded, a sad smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Han Solo was sort of like a hero to me" Rey hummed in response before she returned her attention back to the porg in his chest. The last thing she wanted to do was for her thoughts to trail back to the tragedy of his death, especially the person responsible for it.

Poe eventually approached them, rubbing his palms against each other in an attempt to warm his hands up. "Hey guys we'll be setting up camp for tonight tomorrow we'll be leaving to refuel-" He stopped a few meters away from the trio when they turned to look at him. His gaze was on the porg on Finn's chest and he seemed momentarily hesitant to approach. "Just- come and join the rest of the fleet under the Falcon they're setting up a fire to keep us warm for the evening."

The three of them began following Poe back near the ship, Rey noticed his wary gaze directed to the small creature Finn was cradling. She furrowed her brows in confusion, "Poe are you okay?"

He coughed into his fist and nodded. Rey caught Rose and Finn's small smirks from the corner of her eye. "Poe hates porgs" Rose told her, looking like she was containing her laughter.

Rey's brows shot up in surprise before she chuckled, "What? Why?"

Poe seemed mostly uncomfortable as he sat down on a rock right across Finn when they finally joined the rest of the crew. Rey sat next to him as he mumbled, "Their eyes are creepy"

Finn laughed with Rose and Rey could not hold back chuckling herself. The rest of the Resistance soldiers had already created the fire and circled around it to keep themselves warm.


	3. The Bond

Rey was tired, slightly more comfortable but tired. Night had arrived on the planet and it was even colder than she expected. The female wrapped the grey poncho around herself tighter as she stared at the crackling fire across her. Most of her companions had already retired for the night, taking rest inside the Falcon aside from Poe, Chewie, and Rose who were no doubt on the other side of the ship checking the damages. She could faintly hear their conversation in between the sounds the hiding creatures that inhabited the planet.

She sighed, as much as she was tired she could not bring herself to sleep. Instead, she sat alone under the brightness of the three moons that hung above the planet's dark sky, listening to the crackling of flames and the faint noises that surrounded her. Rey closed her eyes and opted to enjoy the serene mixture of sounds. She could only furrow her brows in mild confusion when the noises that once filled her ears were now replaced by the sound of her breathing, accompanied by someone else's.

Out of all the times to interrupt her...

Rey inhaled deeply, suddenly feeling rather lightheaded but also mildly irritated. Her eyelids swung open, daring to look at the person that was no doubt in front of her. Instead, she was met by her bond mate's straightened back turned on her. Ren's hands were crossed over his chest as his shoulders visibly rose when he sighed as well.

The thick tension hung on the cold night air, Rey sat on the rock stiffly in anticipation, expecting him to move or speak. When he did neither and opted to simply stand a few meters across from her, his back to her face Rey's gaze hardened as she glared. If he wasn't going to speak then there was no reason for him to be here.

This odd bond was clearly out of their control, and the Force seemed almost to be playing with them by connecting each other's minds when they least expected it. Still, Rey could not stand to be around him any longer and she closed her eyes, gathering her strength to push his image away from her mind. Yet the harder she tried the more painful it became to do so, the soft buzz inside her head turned into an agonizing headache. Rey yelped as she held her head in her hands, willing the pain away.

"You're not supposed to do that" She heard Ren mildly scold her, his deep voice interrupting her. Rey slowly raised her gaze to glance at him and found him finally turned to face her. His face contorted in mild pain before his features turned into a neutral gaze again. "The effort will kill you"

"One less problem for you to worry about so why not just leave me alone to do it" She hissed venomously at the Supreme Leader.

Ren remained idle as she sighed again, seemingly tired of her spitting at him in anger. They were once again back where they had started – with her sneering at him in hatred and rage. If he were, to be honest, if anyone had the right to be furious, it was him. Ren had offered her a place by his side twice and once again she had rejected it. Once again choosing the side she reasoned right and just when in actuality the Resistance was just as horrible as the First Oder was. Rey's attempts at doing the right thing were frustrating as much as it was dumbfounding.

"The Force isn't to be ignored" He lectured her, keeping his tone even. "Whether you want it or not this bond exists to connect us and it is beyond either of our controls"

Rey glared before letting out a shaky breath of defeat. She turned her head away from him, gritting her teeth in annoyance. How she could be so sympathetic towards him only days ago but now despising Ren's very presence before her was beyond her understanding.

That was Ben then at the funeral. This man before her isn't him... it was his alter ego.

Ren ignored the unforeseen jolt of pain in his chest after hearing her thoughts "Do you really think I care about who I am to your eyes, scavenger?"

"Get out of my head, Ben" She seethed, "You can't just read a person's mind just because you want to."

"It's not my fault you think so loudly" He shot back, inwardly wincing at how childish he suddenly sounded. "Did Luke not teach you how to shield your thoughts?"

"Did Snoke not teach you how to control your temperament?"

Ren scoffed, balling the hands on his side into tight fists. His patience was wearing thin and he was suddenly itching to ignite his lightsabre that was currently clipped onto the hilt of his hip. With the bond connecting their minds together, his thoughts were also open for her to read. He seemed unaware that she could clearly see how he wanted to start slashing his laser sword in irritation and the corners of her mouth twitched up to a smirk, this thought alone proved her point. Ren immediately noticed this and shot her a warning glare before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why do we always end up arguing?" He asked, his tone softening that it caught her nearly off guard.

Rey frowned and turned her gaze to her boots, "You tell me" she answered sarcastically, they both knew why... they were enemies and despite being connected in the most bizarre way possible, they would always remain on the opposite sides of the war.

"I offered you a place by my side," Ren said, sounding almost vulnerable but also silently angered. "This entire dispute would have ended a long time ago if you had only joined me"

"No, it wouldn't have." Rey protested. "I can't just abandon my friends, Ben. I can't afford that." She shouldn't even be caring but the sight of the clearly broken man in front of her pulled at her heartstrings. Ren was opening up to her again, clearly vulnerable, and she could not hold back the pain that washed over her as she watched him.

"And yet you didn't think twice about abandoning me"

Rey could no longer answer to that and tore her gaze away from him. It didn't take long before she felt the Force withdraw their bond and she was once again left to her lonesomeness. The noises around her that she had previously found calming now sounded upsetting, yet she couldn't complain as they masked the quiet sobs coming from the emotionally drained female.


	4. Undertakings

    

 

The first thing Rey heard when she shifted back to consciousness was the sound of porgs cooing, the young woman slowly opened her eyes to see a group of them gathered around her. She had to squint her eyes at the bright glare of the sun as her pupils worked to adjust to her surroundings. She noted that she had apparently fallen asleep after crying last night. Rey's back was hunched down as she rested her head on her arms that were supported on her knees, and she had stayed in that position the entire night which now resulted to her having an aching back and a sore neck. Rey groaned and sat up slowly, startling a few of the porgs that had gathered around her.

She heard Rose's laughing and she turned her gaze to see her sat across Rey, next to Finn who was chuckling before he noticed her waking up. "Good morning" Finn greeted, porg Han sitting on his shoulder.

Rey rubbed her eyes sleepily and mumbled a reply. Unlike the cold of the evening, she was pleasantly surprised to feel the sun's warmth on her skin. Rey faintly heard twigs snapping from behind her as Poe approached the trio sitting around the ashes of the fire. "We'll be leaving soon" he notified and Rey turned her head to look up at him before standing up.

"I'm coming with you," she said. She was itching to do something other than sitting around, and she honestly needed something to distract her.

Poe shook his head and Rey frowned deeply, "As much as I would love to bring you along, I'm going to need you to stay here with the rest of the fleet. We can't afford to lose the only Jedi we have during the operations, worst case scenario is that we run into some First Order troopers"

Rey frowned at this and raised a skeptic brow, it sounded almost as if Poe thought she couldn't fend off a couple of stormtroopers. "I can handle myself-"

The General raised his hands in surrender and shook his head. "I'm not saying you can't, Rey. I'm sure as hell that you can send those bucket heads flying across the planet with just a flick of your hand." Rey sighed in defeat, she wanted to argue but she also knew that there was no changing Poe's mind about this.

So much for doing something productive...

"Look... All I'm asking is that you stay with the rest of the fleet until we get back. Besides they're going to need all the help they can get building our temporary base" Poe added and at the mention of this Rey noted how few of the Resistance soldiers and droids were already up and about gathering supplies and constructing small makeshift buildings.

Rey turned back to look at Poe before nodding, "Fine." Poe broke into a grateful smile as he nodded before parting from her.

BB-8 rolled next to Rey, chirping excitedly to her and he female offered the droid a smile. "Aren't you going with Poe?" The round droid beeped its response saying he would rather much be with her. Rey chuckled and shook her head, thinking about how betrayed his master must've felt when his droid chose her company over his. She caught Poe's pout when he heard BB-8's response before he smiled again, Finn followed close behind him walking up the ramp of the Falcon.

Now _she_ felt rather betrayed, "How come Finn gets to tag along with Poe while I can't?" She asked the round droid next to her who tilted its semi-circular head up at her inquiry.

"No idea" Came Rose's response as she decided to stand next to Rey, quietly watching as the five people – already counting Finn, Poe, and Chewie – assigned for the task to search for provisions and if they were lucky, gather recruits, board the ship. "Those two seem inseparable and if I didn't know better I swear I would have thought those two were secretly into each other" Rose jested, earning a smirk from Rey who watched from afar as the Falcon's engines came to life and started to lift off from the planet's surface.

The soldiers that were left behind in the place waved and bade their goodbyes. Rey watched as the ship flew farther into the atmosphere until it was merely a small dot in the sky before abruptly disappearing, entering lightspeed. The young woman silently prayed to Maker her friends would be successful in their quest and come back safely. Rose placed a reassuring hand on Rey's shoulder, almost as if she had sensed the female's unease. The rest of the Resistance soldiers and droids were occupied with constructing their makeshift shelters, everyone seemed willing to participate.

"Come on," the dark-haired woman beckoned Rey to follow her as she walked towards a stack of crates. Rey did just that with BB-8 beeping inquisitively next to her.

"So what are we supposed to do until they get back?" Rey asked, eyeing the boxes curiously as Rose picked up a knapsack and slinging it over her shoulder.

"Well, we're not quite sure when they'll be back which means we'll be needing lots of provisions to feed the rest of the fleet. C3-PO and Vega did a quick trek around Caligo's mountains and woods and found out that this planet is bountiful with fruits and comestible vegetation." Rose explained, glancing up at the large highlands, squinting her eyes at the glare of the sun. "All we have to do is to collect at least three days' worth of fare." Rey nodded obediently; briefly darting back to the rock she had rested on to fetch her own knapsack that contained the sacred texts and the two pieces of her damaged lightsabre. The young woman grabbed the metallic staff that was resting on the cold ground before bringing it with her to follow Rose.

 

**~~~~~**

 

The Supreme Leader sighed... he was frustrated and was near to losing his composure. Hux seemed to be exclusively obnoxious today, the general had been yapping all night about the Resistance. He had refused to stop obsessing over his search for the remainder of their enemy and kept on demanding Ren to _"do something about the Rebel scum"._

Hux was ecstatic to hear the news of General Leia's passing, in fact, he was practically skipping through the Frist Order base like the bloodthirsty bigot that he was. Ren, on the other hand, had been suspiciously quiet about the news.

Having had enough of Hux's insufferable babbling, Ren stood up from his seat. His abrupt action startling most of the people he sat with on the table.

"That would be enough, general" He commanded him flatly.

Hux raised an orange brow at their ruler, puzzled by him. The general continued speaking; protesting against the Supreme Leader's complete disregard of the topic and Ren had half the mind to throw him off the bridge

"Supreme Leader, we have to take action" the ginger-haired male insisted. "Now that the Resistance has lost their precious princess they are vulnerable. There is no other better time to strike and finish them off when they are weak. All that is left to do is to find out where they are hiding and-"

"And how's that going so far?" Ren interrupted his patience slipping as he balled his hands on his sides into tight fists. "You have used half of our limited resources in search of the rebels and have found nothing of importance."

Hux visibly stiffened. Ren could feel the anger radiating from the general as he watched Hux's eyes blazing with fire.

"I advise that you specifically focus on replenishing our forces, general. The First Order has taken a great loss after the Resistance destroyed our dreadnought and the number of troopers we have has drastically decreased." Ren added, eyeing the general critically.

Hux folded his hands behind him, "I have ordered for more ships and weaponry from Cantonica, I have also sent for a collection of new troops and I've assigned for Captain Phasma's replacement." He reported dully, irritated that Ren seemed to be paying very little attention. How he could be dismissive regarding the Resistance grated on his nerves, they both knew that the rebels weren't to be underestimated. They may be low in number now but those pests always seemed to come back stronger.

Ren nodded and waved a dismissive hand. "Go and oversee the progress we have made so far."

Hux stubbornly took several steps forward, refusing to back down on his pursuit of the evasive Resistance. "Ren I insist that we-" Before the general to step any closer Ren flicked his hand and Hux instantaneously fell on his stomach, his face meeting the shiny floor of the ship.

"I would recommend thinking twice before objecting to direct orders, general" Ren coldly warned the man struggling to sit up on the floor. Blood was already rolling down Hux's chin from his mouth as he glared at the Supreme Leader.

Ren said nothing more as he strode out of the room, two troopers following behind him.

The rest of the people inside the bridge remained tense on their seats, unsure as to how to react to the scene that had unfolded before them. Hux eventually stood up, glaring at them. "Get back to your stations" He seethed and the crew robotically obeyed.

Hux knew the Resistance had to be eliminated sooner, especially now that they had a powerful Jedi on their side. One that had successfully and rather implausibly murdered their former Supreme Leader... defeated his 8 praetorian guards and Kylo Ren all by herself he might add. Though the general still had his suspicions about Ren's story... it all seemed a little too farfetched, to be frank, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

 

 

 

The Supreme Leader was still fuming as he made his way back to his quarters; he took long strides walking through the cruiser, his hands still in fists on his sides. Anyone who came across him stood stiffly and saluted in respect, or simply because they feared him... Ren paid them no heed.

Once upon his quarters, he dismissed the two troopers that followed him. Ren took off his gloved and pressed his palm on the sensor next to his room. The machine's blue screen turned green at the verification and the hydraulics on his door hissed as they parted to allow him in.

The exhaustion was starting to take a toll on Ren, although he could go through several days without sleep, the added stress that came with being the First Order's new Supreme Leader, and the previous night's encounter with the scavenger was more than enough to make anyone grow tired.

Ren held his head in both of his hands as he sat on his bed. He closed his eyes and attempted to rid his mind of the thoughts that haunted him, the scary thing was that these thoughts mostly involved Rey and the last thing Ren wanted was to think of her. Ren refused to sleep – sleeping never ended well, sleeping meant having to encounter the nightmares that haunted him and he hated that.

Instead, he opted to meditate. Ren positioned himself on his bed for meditation, sitting crossed leg and both hands on his knees. He breathed in deeply through his nose and attempted to reach out with his feelings – just as Luke once taught him a very long time ago. Yet instead of feeling at peace, the moment Ren closed his eyes he felt lightheaded before all the noises that once surrounded abruptly dissolved and his ears perking at the sound of someone else's hearty laughter.

_Not again._


	5. Chapter 5

 

BB-8 made high-pitched beeping sounds as he made circles around both Rey and Rose. Rey giggled watching the droid roll in circles as a curious white mammal chased him around.

The knapsack Rose had brought along with them had grown heavy, filled with a variety of fruits the pair had collected from the generous forest. The shorter female groaned in discomfort, her shoulders already felt sore from carrying the weighty load. Rey's head whipped to glance at her companion, noting how Rose began to struggle with her bag.

"Here, let me-"Rey took the knapsack from Rose, grunting when her arms caught the weight of the bag.

Rose sighed, "Thanks, but are you sure you can carry that by yourself?"

"Not exactly, but I can if I do _this_ " she settled the bag on collected fruits down the earth before taking a few steps back. What Rey was about to do might be considered as an abuse of power, but for a moment she couldn't care less. All Rey was going to do was make the bag float to save them both the hassle; there was certainly nothing wrong with doing something so... trivial...

Drawing in a deep breath she reached out with the force, feeling the energy that surrounded her. She saw the life, death, decay, peace, violence... everything that made the planet a whole. She mentally pictured that very same energy drawing closer towards the bag; she imagined it enclosing itself around the object before lifting it up from the ground.

Rose's gasp brought Rey to open her eyes. A victorious grin spread itself on Rey's lips as she watched the bag levitate a good few feet above the ground. Rose glanced towards the force sensitive female, awe and curiosity sparkling in her eyes as she broke out into a grin.

"That's-That's _so cool_!" Rose remarked, laughing in wonder while BB-8 chirped excitedly.

Rey laughed along with her new found friend who was already placing more fruits into the bag. Rose eventually broke into a series of questions towards Rey, most were inquiries about the Force and how it worked. There were few questions Rey had answered, she had found it rather challenging but she tried her best in attempting to elaborate her limited knowledge of the Force. Sure she trained with Luke – sort of... what had happened on Ach'To was more along the lines of trying to convince Luke to teach her and the man demanding she left after two lessons.

Still, it had dawned on Rey a little too late that she hardly knew anything about the Jedi. She was still a little puzzled about how the Force even worked... Rey hoped the sacred texts she brought with her would assist her in learning more.

Moments later, Rose had to interrupt their discussion – needing to deliver the bag filled with provisions back to camp. Rey opted to stay in the forest to continue picking fruits. Her friend didn't seem very fond of the idea of leaving the female alone in the woods but gave in to Rey's insisting at the end.

"I can take care of myself, Rose" Rey laughed in humor. It made her rather uncomfortable to have a lot of people care about her well-being. She had grown up desolated on an unforgiving planet where she had to fight and scavenge for survival; Rey never really had anyone to look out for her but herself. Now with so many people fussing over her, the feeling was strange – but nonetheless, it was pleasant.

Rose let out a chuckle, nodding to herself before she took the knapsack down from floating. "We'll be right back!" The female hollered before walking down the path they took earlier. Rey watched as Rose's form disappeared behind the tall trees.

BB-8 stood next to the girl, beeping whilst he rolled in circles around her legs in an attempt to avoid the small creatures that continued to approach him in pure curiosity. Rey smiled at them before reaching up her hand to pick a round red fruit from one of the branches of the trees.

The female had become rather distracted with her task, virtually unaware of the presence that accompanied her own. One of the fruits she held in her arms slipped from her clutch and fell down the earth, rolling away from her. Rey eyed it continuing to move away from her and stop in front of a pair of black boots. Rey's eyes narrowed before she straightened her back to meet Ren's gaze.

He was leaning casually against a blue tree, arms crossed over his chest. The thick leaves that hung above him hardly allowed any sunlight to shine through, leaving Ren concealed behind the shadows.

BB-8 had stopped to stare at its companion glaring at the shadows. He droid turned his head to the direction of Rey's gaze but finding no one there. BB-8 rolled next to the female before chirping inquisitively. Rey whipped her head down to the droid's stare as he beeped his question as to who she was looking at. Rey found herself unable to answer her companion's inquiries while Ren shifted.

"The connection doesn't allow any other person to tune in unless they're force sensitive" Ren spoke although it his voice ceased to exist to anyone else's ears but hers.

Rey arched a dubious brow. "And you know that because-?"

Ren shrugged, his eyes never leaving Rey's. "I've simply observed it."

The female rolled her eyes before scoffing. Rey turned her back on her bond mate, deciding to continue her work. Perhaps if she ignored him he'd magically dissipate from her mind. These thoughts, of course, were heard by Ren and the man narrowed his eyes at the girl.

"Ignoring me is quite a childish act, scavenger. Then again I don't expect any less from you"

"So says the _emo manchild_." Rey shot back, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. She felt Ren's anger pulsating from his side of the bond but she ignored it. If he really thought she would let him get away with belittling her worth again, he was gravely mistaken.

" _Emo manchild_ -" Ren repeated, scoffing before grinning cynically at her. The tall man took a step closer, resulting in Rey walking away from him in an unspoken intimidation. "Very _creative_ " Ren taunted, daring to take another step closer to the female.

Rey raised her chin up defiantly, her angry hazel eyes burning holes right through Ren's head... He continued to stalk her, forcing Rey to retreat at the same slow pace. Ren's large and tall form was intimidating enough and his intense gaze refused to move away from her which made it all harder to tear her gaze away from him.

Rey eventually found herself backed up against a tree trunk. The female swallowed the lump in her throat, although she refused to admit it – she was scared. Rey has seen what this man could do... Ren was a powerful force user... But heck so was she. The grip she had on her staff tightened as they both continued their staring contest, Ren moved and Rey flinched ever so slightly when he rested his hand against the tree.

She could feel Ren's warm breath tickling the skin of her face at their close proximity, and it infuriated her as much as it made Rey curious. Rey could feel their force signatures buzzing and mingling with one another, it was both intoxicating and unnerving.

"Don't be afraid..." Ren whispered his voice dropping to a sultry tone. "I feel it too"

He was standing too close for her comfort and she suddenly felt that the forest had become a little too warm. They both stood there against each other, their faces mere centimeters from touching and the voice inside her head was screaming for her to move away from this man.

Ren once again moved, his large hand reached out to touch the freckled skin of her cheek. Before the material of his black glove made contact with her flesh, Rey jumped and grabbed his wrist with her free hand. Ren blinked from his half-lidded gaze, seeming to wake up from a trance he didn't realize he was in. Rey was feeling rather lightheaded as well, almost drunk at the feeling of their forces interacting with one another. Rey's glare had returned and she pushed him away with both of her hands before raising her foot to kick Ren's stomach, forcing the dark-sider down on his back.

"Don't touch me" she hissed at him, moving quickly to raise the metal pole at Ren in defense. The man raised his hands in mock surrender, an indifferent expression on his face.

BB-8 watched anxiously as his friend raised her staff offensively at a person invisible to his vision. The droid beeped its concerns and for once Rey regarded his presence, her eyes kept darting back to him and the blank space across of her.

Ren's own attention was directed to the droid at his bond mate's side, he immediately recognized the orange and white BB unit and a wry smile played at the corner of his lips. "The droid. It's the same one the First Order had been after."

"Shut up" Rey snapped, not tearing her angry gaze away from him. "Go away"

Sighing deeply the male couldn't resist rolling his eyes at how ludicrous Rey was acting. "As much as I want to leave there is nothing I can do about—"

"Don't you have better things to do?" Rey interjected again, kneeling down the forest's grassy floor to pick up the fruits she dropped. "Pillage villages, brood and be the big bad Supreme Leader of the First Or—"

"Rey-!" Rose's called out to her and Rey whipped her head in the direction she heard her friend's voice echo from. She cursed under her breath as she gathered the remainder of the fruits into her arms. Why hadn't the connection dissolved yet? The last thing she needed was Ren hanging around while she was in the company of other people.

"You need to leave" Rey hissed at Ren who only gave her an exasperated look. He had already explained himself three times, he was silently wondering if she was either deaf or simply too daft to understand. "I'm not deaf" Rey scowled. "I'm not _stupid_ either!"

"Rey?" Rose emerged from behind a tree, briefly startling Rey before she hastily composed herself. Rey smiled awkwardly. "You okay?"

"Yes"

"No" Ren replied in unison with Rey, of course, this went unheard but not to Rey.

"Alright, we're gonna need to get back to camp and help out with the construction." Rose offered her the empty sack and Rey placed the fruits inside. BB-8 chirped to Rose of Rey's odd behavior earlier to which the Jedi flushed in embarrassment in. Rose merely shrugged, "Force users"

" _Yes. Yes. Go on and use your Force abilities to lift rocks and place roofs,_ certainly not _a complete waste of power_." Ren sarcastically remarked. Rey turned to glare at the male when Rose wasn't looking but found him gone, their connection finally ending.


	6. Eavesdrop

__

 

_Canto Bight_

Whilst General Hux conversed with a greasy old man regarding the order of new TIE fighters and weapons, Ren had to deal with speaking to the politics of Cantonica and a few other officials from different planets. Public speaking was never Ren's forte, but if he were to bring a new order to the galaxy he needed to depart from Snoke's tyrant ways.

So here he was... forcing a polite smile as he spoke to the senators and other bigwig officials in hopes of finding potential allies. Ren's plan was to gather as many people and allies as he could under his command to ensure the Resistance would have nowhere to turn to for means of rebuilding their feeble army.  
  
  


The chatter continued on inside the cruise ship one of the bureaucrats had reserved for this specific meeting. Ren had eventually grown rather tired of speaking to the avaricious politics and decided to slip out of the conversation, mumbling an excuse.

"Enjoying yourself, your Supreme Leadership?" Hux implored as he casually strode next to Ren leaning his arms onto the railings on the sides of the ship.

The dark-sider merely hummed before regarding the general with a sideward glance. Hux didn't usually care for pleasantries unless he wanted something in particular. "We aren't here for leisure time, general." Ren chided.  
  
  


"I'm well aware of that Ren" The ginger-haired general scowled before leaning his back on the railings, stirring the drink in his glass. "Our assignment is to form potential allies with these snobs to help support the First Order. Still... where's the harm in finding satisfaction and ease in such extravagant events. Considering the circumstances we are in"

Ren scoffed "What exactly are you implying?"

A mischievous glint crossed Hux's eyes before he nodded toward the sparkling room filled with people. Ren followed the general's line of sight, leading towards a group of females. He sighed and narrowed his eyes at Hux who raised his brows in mild surprise. "What?"  
  
  


Ren rubbed his forehead; of course, he would suggest _that_. It wasn't if Ren was a stranger to such things, a man had his wants and desires but Ren had never considered paying too much attention to them. Most of his life was spent focusing on his training, yes, passion fuelled the dark side but still... even Ren had his reservations.

Hux was still slightly taken aback by the Supreme Leader's complete reproach to the idea of laying with one of the women and silently wondered if Ren preferred...

"No I do not" Ren hissed, having heard the general's thoughts.

Hux knew of Ren's telepathic abilities to read minds, but it still disturbed him that he couldn't keep several thoughts to himself at all. He shrugged nonchalantly, "It was merely a speculation, Ren"

"In which you are gravely mista—"Ren hissed, a searing pain on his eye interrupting his sentence. Hux watched in confusion as the dark-sider rubbed his left eye, cursing as he did.

"Ren?" Hux furrowed his brows eyeing the man skeptically. "What _happened_?"

The Supreme Leader waved his hand in front of the man, using the force he commanded the general to leave him alone to himself. Hux robotically repeated Ren's exact words before walking away back to the crowd. Ren uncovered his eye and knew the pain wasn't his own. With a growl, he felt the familiar tug of their force bond before Rey materialized on the ship's deck in front of him. Rubbing her own left eye, and whimpering in pain.  
  
  


Too angry with the interruption Ren snapped. "What the kriff happened to you?"

Rey tried to glare with her one good eye as she kept her hand over her tearing left one. "I sprayed perfume on my eyes" She felt rather sheepish of what happened when Ren furrowed his brows.

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know, to make my eyes smell like _chrysanthemums_? What do you think, _it was an accident_!" Rey fumed whilst her bond mate bit the insides of his cheeks.

Ren sighed and rubbed his face. He was in no mood to tolerate the girl's fury. Ren decided to leave Rey to her lonesomeness on the deck as he walked back into the crowd. Rey muttered a curse as she watched his black-clad form disappear into the gathering of extravagantly clothed people. She glanced around her new surroundings – finding herself somewhere on board of what seemed to be a cruise ship. Rey realized it was her who appeared in Ren's environment instead of him being in hers this time.  
  
  


It made Rey rather nauseous that she was now basically teleporting light years through space whenever they connected. Yet for some reason, she could still faintly hear the voices of her Resistance friends as they busied themselves with rebuilding with little of what they had and could find on the misty planet otherwise known as Caligo.   
  
  


Rose had been introducing Rey to a bottle of perfume Rose's late sister -- Paige Tico – treasured when out of ignorant curiosity Rey points the spray right at her eye before pressing. The female had excused herself to wash the alcohol out of her eye in the nearby lake until she found herself on board a fancy leisure ship.  
  
  


' _I swear to Maker the Force is making us both encounter each other in the most inopportune times on purpose.'_

Rey thought angrily as she considered between remaining where she stood and searching for Ren in the crowd. Biting her lower lip she decided to go with the latter. Neither of the people in the place seemed to notice she was even there as she practically walked through most individuals. Rey's mind wandered back to their previous encounter where he told her nobody else could tune in or see her through their bond unless they were force sensitive.

Rey's eyes wandered around her environment in search of Ren who had astonishingly disappeared. She frowned, how Ren was able to suddenly vanish was beyond her understanding. Rey swore the Supreme Leader would have stuck out like a sore thumb within the crowd considering his black uniform would have contrasted with the color of white and champagne the other aliens and humans were wearing. Not to mention he would have towered over everyone else...  
  
  


' _Looking for somebody?'_

Ren's deep voice echoed inside Rey's head, catching her off guard. The female whipped her head around in search of her bond mate, finding herself lost inside the crowd. Rey narrowed her eyes and worked to send her own telepathic message.

' _You left me alone. Where are you?'_

' _Definitely not beside you that I can tell'_

Rey felt the sudden urge to facepalm herself... she continued to effortlessly walk right through the crowd. Deciding that she can't find him with her eyes alone, Rey sought Ren out through the force – searching his force signature wasn't that much of a challenge as his own power sought out hers. It didn't take long and Rey eventually found herself walking towards the front of the ship, letting her force lead her towards the leader of the Resistance's enemy.   
  
  


She ultimately caught sight of Ren – standing amongst a few other fancily dressed people. It wasn't the way Ren seemed to talk so calm and casually with these people that surprised her – it was the fact that he was smiling. Rey almost found it disturbing that someone as uptight as him would be seen smiling politely around these individuals.

From the corner of his eye, Ren caught the image of Rey standing a few meters away from his company. She looked visibly tense as she stared at him like she was seeing a ghost.

' _You look rather disturbed'_ Ren remarked through their bond, his voice echoing inside the walls of her mind. The male continued to casually converse with the characters that surrounded him.

Rey felt her cheeks warm at the fact that Ren found her gaping at him, but she willed it away and shook her head. _'I've never seen you smile before'_

Ren's polite grin faltered for the briefest moments before he forced it back on. Rey silently noted how his hands balled into tight fists at his side as he attempted to continue to speak to the people around him without showing how Rey's remark made him feel rather conscious of himself.

When the female received no answer from her bond mate she sighed and opted to look around her surrounding, searching for ways to cut the connection off. She knew she wasn't actually here, the faint noises of the forest on Caligo proved that she was still very much on the planet. Rey wondered how she would be able to leave on her own accord during situations like this, the idea of waiting for the bond to dissolve by itself wasn't very appealing... especially when the other half of it was ignoring your very presence.

' _That's quite hypocritical of you to think when you were the one to ignore me in the first place'_ Ren stated

Rey narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. "I was merely testing if I could get rid of your face by disregarding your company"

' _That failed to work then'_

"And it'll fail to work now" Rey retorted, watching as the corners of Ren's mouth twitch to a small smirk.

' _Touché'_

A smile of her own threatened to spread on Rey's lips and she bit the inside of her cheeks to prevent doing so. Rey opted to try wait patiently until they disconnected if she really didn't have a choice on the matter of when to dissolve from their bond Rey would have to do the one thing she had gotten rather good at – waiting. She mutely watched from a few meters away as Ren socialized, Rey couldn't really make out what most of the people were saying; most of their words were too muffled for her to understand. The force however made it possible for her to hear four specific words...  
  
  


" _...Supreme Leader Snoke's death"_

Rey's ears perked at the topic and she whipped her head at the small crowd behind her. Out of curiosity, she stalked towards them – straining her ears to comprehend the words the group spoke.  
  
  


" _Snoke had been a wise leader"_ Remarked a blue-skinned lady as she stirred the champagne in her glass. _"Although I admit the new Supreme Leader seems just as astute, I personally preferred the old man's rule"_

" _I hear he was murdered..."_ Chimed in the woman's companion, _"...By that Jedi knight from Jakku" Rey's_ breathing stopped as she continued to eavesdrop on the group.

" _Ah yes, the scavenger pest"_ A ginger-haired male in a crisp black uniform nodded, taking a sip from his glass. _"Bewilderingly murdering the strongest force user there is in the galaxy while simultaneously defeating Snoke's praetorian guards and knocking Kylo Ren out cold,"_ The man said with pure distaste as he eyed the tall Supreme Leader in black.

" _If he were able to successfully outwit Snoke and Kylo Ren then the knight is no doubt the strongest to live"_

The ginger shook his head _"The Jedi is a she, Sirius. And yes it is probable as the scavenger had no doubt trained with Skywalker himself"_

" _Then this scavenger is a threat to the First Order"_ Concluded the blue-skinned woman.   
  
  


" _She is indeed one of the First Order's high profile enemies, but with the large bounty on that scum's head the moment someone catches sight of her... the Jedi won't last long to breathe another puff of air."_

The group continued to drink and converse whilst Rey began to back away. Disgust and pure anger eating her up, it was beginning to make Rey feel sick in the stomach. In her retreat she felt her back come into contact with something solid and warm, Rey whipped around and found herself facing Ren's chest.   
  
  


The dark-sider was looking down at her -- a neutral expression painted on his face.

' _It's not very polite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations'_

Rey scowled, anger flashing her eyes. The female's palm flew to the side of Ren's face – creating a loud satisfying slap as her hand hit Ren's cheek angrily.

The last thing he saw of his bond mate was her steely gaze before she dissolved into nothingness. Anyone who saw the strange spectacle eyed the Supreme Leader -- bewildered as an invisible being slapped him across the face.


	7. Cloud City

 

 

" _General_?" Asked the dark-skinned man in blue and gold robes. Poe nodded soberly, leaning against the landing ramp of the _Falcon._

"General Organa...she passed a few days ago."

The man known as Lando Calrissian sighed heavily as he took in the news. Poe has heard of this man from a few stories parted by Leia, especially of their adventures with Han. While the First Order was still on the hunt for what was left of the Resistance, the _Falcon_ had decided to refuel and gather provisions from Cloud City. General Poe sought out Lando in hopes of him supporting the rebuilding of the Resistance.

Lando shook his head and frowned, "Did-Did Ben do it?"

Poe furrowed his brows in confusion, " _Ben_?"

" _Ah_... that's right. _Kylo Ren._ " He spat the name sourly. "Did _Kylo Ren_ kill Leia?"

The general shook his head "She died of old age a month after our battle against the First Order on Crait" Poe quietly wondered to himself why Lando had referred to the Supreme Leader as _Ben._ As far as he knew _Ben_ was Leia's son, he knew nothing more of what actually happened to the boy other than the fact that he went missing and neither Leia nor Han had heard from him since.

"Sir Calrissian, we need your help. The Resistance is in its most desperate hour."

Lando sighed before shaking his head "General, you know that Bespin is neutral to this war, and it will remain that way to protect its citizens"   
  
Poe sighed dejectedly, dropping his head down. Finn, who sat in between the two men on the table leaned towards Lando, his eyes pleading. "Please. My friends are looking up to us. The galaxy is counting on the Resistance..." Finn paused, thinking about how Rey, Rose and the rest of the fleet was doing while they were away. "Especially those in oppression... We _need_ your help"

The older male nodded and spared the former stormtrooper a smile. "A man with a purpose... Your spirit is contagious, boy. I'll admit that." Lando inhaled deeply, "Alright. I can't offer much but I will provide you with the provisions you need, along with refueling the _Falcon._.. Maker knows how much Han loved that ship"

A grateful smile spread across Poe's lips as he stood from his seat to shake the man's hand firmly. "Thank you, the Resistance is indebted to you."

"Our numbers have dwindled" Finn added, fidgeting with the beacon around his wrist. "We need more soldiers and manpower to be able to rebuild."  
  
"We were hoping to be able to recruit people who are willing to fight against the First Order"

Lando thought deeply, furrowing his brows. "Not many people want to go against the order, especially with the knowledge of what the consequences are. Several rebellions on a few planets arose the past month yet most of these had been for naught as The First Order had been quick to rid of the feeble attempts at going against them. So the people went back into hiding." The older male sighed before his face lit up at a thought. "There is, however, a small gathering hiding in the heart of Canto Bight. Rumour has it that these people are planning a rebellion of their own"  
  
  


Finn perked up at the mention of the lavish city, recalling how Rose told him about the abuse few citizens were receiving to serve the richer individuals that wasted their credits on gambling and fathier races. Knowing few of those victims were plotting to go against their oppressors made Finn feel rather proud.

The general nodded, taking in the new information. "Then we'll head over to Canto Bight and meet with the gathering"

"And if we encounter the First Order?" Finn questioned uneasily.

"We blow them up"

Lando chuckled and waved towards the door. "Come, I'll help you move your provisions aboard the _Falcon_ "

 

**~~~~~**

 

Porg Han snuggled close to Finn's chest as he sat in the cockpit, attempting to send a transmission to Rose. Being away from her for more than twenty-four hours made him feel uneasy, it was something he couldn't explain but whenever he was away from the girl he felt rather edgy. Chewie watched him from the lounge pressing with various buttons, the wookie eventually got irritated with Finn's grumbling that he roared for him to turn towards him.

Chewie tossed a com link towards the dark-skinned man who caught it clumsily. Finn narrowed his eyes at the device before nodding at Chewie who waved his furry hand dismissively.

"Rose?" Finn spoke into the small device before pausing, he listened and waited for a reply from the other line. There was a long pause and a mix of distorted sounds before he finally got his reply.

"Hello? Finn...!" Came Rose's cheery reply.

The corners of Finn's lips tugged up to a grin hearing his friend's voice. "Hey there, how's everything going back there? Where's Rey?"

The other line kept getting cut off that Finn had hit the comlink a few times to understand Rose's reply through the distorted hums. Poe walked into the cockpit and watched the former stormtrooper hit the small device repeatedly.  
  
"Woah Woah there" Poe chuckled at Finn's visible frustration as he took a seat in the pilot's chair. He held out a hand to lower the comlink and shook his head. "Careful you're going to destroy it"

  
Finn sighed before hitting the device one more time against his palm. "The connection keeps getting interrupted. I can't understand what Rose is trying to tell me"

"Yeah, you've been quite oblivious to the messages she's been shoving right in front of your face" Poe mumbled, referring to the female's constant display of affection towards Finn. Rose clearly fancied the dark-skinned man but Finn didn't seem to see this... or maybe he did but ignored it.   
  
"What?"

The general grinned and waved a dismissive hand. "Ah, why don't you leave that for now and help Connix, Chewie, and Uri in loading the _Falcon_ with the rations Sir Calrissian provided us with"

Finn hummed in response and remained in his seat for a brief moment before finally standing up. Porg Han screeched at the abrupt movement of its master and Finn caught the bird in time before it fell on the floor.

Finn cooed his companion, "Sorry, I almost forgot about you, little guy"

"Oh kriff" Poe's face twisted in near disgust. "I forgot you brought that creepy little thing with you"

Finn's eyes sparkled in mischief as his lips tugged into a smile. He held out the hand that held the porg towards the general who flinched and leaned a considerable distance away from the creature. "Take him," Finn said and Poe's eyes narrowed.

"No" The dark-skinned man inched the cooing bird closer to Poe's face. The general reacted by stumbling out of the cockpit and pointing a warning finger at Finn. "Now-now I'm _warning_ you, Finn!"

"The best damn pilot in the galaxy is afraid of a porg" Finn nearly laughed and his grin widened. "Take Han."

" _Why?"_

"Because I'm going to help Connix and the others with carrying the rations to aboard this piece of garbage... and nobody can look after Han." Finn stepped closer to the general who glared at him. He then proceeded to take Poe's hands before placing the feathery creature in them. When the porg settled comfortably in Poe's reluctant hands Finn clapped his friend's back and laughed. "I can't ignore direct orders... _General_ "

Poe groaned as he watched the former stormtrooper march out to assist the other Resistance soldiers that accompanied them on the trip. He glanced down to see porg Han's large black eyes staring at him with curiosity, Poe huffed and carefully placed the bird in his jacket's front pocket. "Just because I let you hang out with me doesn't mean we're friends, you creepy-looking fella"

Porg Han responded with chitters and Poe nodded before joining his soldiers down the ramp. "After this... Canto Bight for the recruits and then it's back to Caligo to rebuild our army."

Little Han screeched in approval to the plan.


End file.
